The present invention relates to a gas-flow separator for an annular combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine, more particularly such a gas flow separator that improves gas mixing and flame propogation within the combustion chamber.
To achieve a reduction in air pollution, recent aircraft gas turbine engines have been designed with annular combustion chambers having two sets of fuel injector heads, one fuel injector head utilized for idling or low-power operation, and both being utilized for full power operation. Each fuel injector head comprises a plurality of fuel injectors arranged in an annular array such that the fuel injectors are located in two distinct zones in the combustion chamber, the zones being separated by a gas flow separator.
Although this design has been generally successful, it suffers from several operational drawbacks. Specifically, when the idle or low-power fuel injection head is operating alone, the combustion chamber outlet temperatures may vary from 900.degree. to 1,800.degree. K. between the internal and external portions of the combustion chamber outlet and also between the roots and tips of the guide vanes located at the combustion chamber outlet. This temperature variation across the outlet and the guide vanes decreases the efficiency of the gas turbine engine. Also, when the two sets of fuel injectors are operating jointly, the known gas flow separators generate an essentially two-dimensional wake in the gas flow direction (from upstream to downstream) which also adversely affects the combustion chamber outlet temperatures.